The present invention, Hosta ‘Journey's End’, relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta, botanically known as a Hosta sp., hereinafter referred to as ‘Journey's End’.
The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Journey's End’, in summer of 1999 in a tissue culture lab in Waseca, Minn. ‘Journey's End’ originated as a naturally-occurring chimeral mutation of Hosta ‘Choo Choo Train’ (unpatented). The parent plant, Hosta ‘Choo Choo Train’, is non-variegated with yellow-green foliage. ‘Journey's End’ is unique in having foliage with green margins surrounding yellow-green centers. The closest comparison plant is ‘American Icon’ (patent pending), a sibling of ‘Journey's End’, which differs in having leaves with the reverse variegation pattern to ‘Journey's End’, yellow-green margins and green centers. ‘Journey's End’ can also be compared to ‘Summer Serenade’ (not patented), a plant of similar plant stature and leaf variegation pattern. ‘Summer Serenade’ is a chimeral mutation of golden foliaged ‘Piedmont Gold’ (not patented). ‘Summer Serenade’ differs form ‘Journey's End’ in having less ruffled leaf margins and by emerging earlier in the spring resulting in susceptibility to frost damage, particularly in the Southern portions of the U.S.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor utilizing in vitro propagation in Waseca, Minn. in fall of 2002. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features of ‘Journey's End’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.